Scammers exploit missing pets with fake photos and demands for money, BBB says
Scam artists are targeting pet owners by claiming to have their lost pet and insisting they pay for their return.
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The Better Business Bureau is warning pet owners about an increase in lost-pet scams. In 2022, the BBB received 680 pet scams reported to its Scam Tracker. By 2024, that number had increased to 2,278.
When Cristina Teehan’s dog, Coco, escaped from home, she was bombarded with messages from scammers claiming they had found Coco but demanding money for the dog’s return.
“Why take advantage of people who are already upset?” Teehan said. “People who are already going through so much?”
News 12 first spoke with Teehan in 2022. Since then, not only have these scams increased dramatically, but the BBB and Federal Trade Commission say scammers are also using AI to generate realistic images and videos that make it appear more convincing that they have someone’s pet.
“It’s a heartbreaker because pets, you know, we love our pets,” said Clair Rosenzweig of the Better Business Bureau. “And if you lose your pet or if somebody says that it’s been stolen, you’ll do anything, it seems, you know, to get that pet back.”
Rosenzweig said pet owners should never pay someone claiming to have their animal.
“As much as you want that pet back,” Rosenzweig said, “do not send them money by wire, by gift card, any which way, because they don’t have your pet.”
If someone asks to be paid through a wire transfer, cryptocurrency or gift cards, it can be much harder to get your money back.
The BBB also recommends tagging and microchipping pets so they can be identified and returned more easily if they wander off.
